The Pharaoh's Ring
by Amphitrite II
Summary: For their one year anniversary, Bakura surprises Yami with a beautiful ring. :::Darkshipping, YB/YY:::
1. Bakura's Gift

**The Pharaoh's Ring: Chapter I**  
**By Amphitrite II**

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_For their one year anniversary, Bakura surprises Yami with a beautiful ring._**  
****Disclaimer:** This story is based on _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ and its characters and situations, all created and owned by Kazuki Takahashi.  
**Pairing:** Darkshipping (Yami no Bakura/Yami no Yuugi)  
**Warnings: **Yaoi. Established relationship. Swearing. Some fluff.  
**Notes:** It's wonderful writing again! I'm in the midst of an insane Darkshipping fixation, churning out Darkshippping stories like whoa and reading just about every single Yami/Bakura fic out there, haha. It's great! Hope you enjoy this; after "Defeat", I wanted to write something happier…

Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

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When Yami woke up on the morning of the 22nd, everything felt different. The sun seemed to be shining brighter through the blinds, the birds seem to be chirping louder, and the bed seemed to be more comfortable than usual. Most strangely, he felt a strange sense of achievement that he couldn't put his finger on.

It wasn't until he'd gotten up, brushed his teeth, gotten dressed, and made himself breakfast that it dawned on him.

One year.

Today marked the one-year anniversary of the day he and Bakura had decided to give their relationship a try. Grinning wildly, he stuffed his slice of toast into his mouth and ran downstairs to where Yuugi's grandfather, Sugoroku, was maintaining the shop.

"Jii-chan (1)," he called out.

"Ah, mou hitori no Yuugi (2)," Sugoroku greeted. "Good morning. You sure look happy today. It is a beautiful day, ne?"

Yami smiled. "Yes, it is. Jii-chan, do you mind if I take a day off? It's my… It's a very special day."

"Of course," Sugoroku beamed. "You barely ever take any days off, my boy. Go outside and enjoy the sun." Yami nodded, grinning, and dashed out of the door. "Have a nice day!" Sugoroku called, humming to himself and wondering if it really was the weather that had the other Yuugi so cheerful.

In no time, Yami found himself at the doorstep of Ryou's apartment. Practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, he both rang the doorbell and knocked on the door impatiently. He heard grumbling and then a vague, "Okay, okay! Calm the hell down!"

The door flung open, revealing an extremely irate Bakura, shirtless, with his hair even more disheveled than usual.

"What?!" he growled, eyes squinting against the murderous sunlight.

"Good morning!" Yami said brightly.

"Pha—umph!" Before Bakura could protest to the early morning visit, Yami had him pinned against the now-closed door and was kissing the living daylights out of him. "Okay, fine, you can come in," Bakura grumbled, scratching his head before collapsing in bed again. Yami followed happily, settling next to Bakura's shoulder, cross-legged. He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his lover's face, smiling down at the rumpled thief.

"What is it?" Bakura finally growled, covering his face with his pillow.

"Hmm?" Yami answered innocently.

"Why are you a fucking ray of sunshine today?"

"Do you know what today _is_?" Yami said cheerfully.

"Monday? I don't know, who cares."

Yami pouted. "It's our anniversary!"

Silence, then a groan. "God, have I really been dealing with you for that long?"

Yami grinned impishly and pulled the pillow away. He leaned down to peck Bakura on the cheek. "Mmm," Bakura murmured, pleased. "C'mere, you," and with that, he pulled Yami closer to kiss him on the lips.

"Happy one year, Bakura," Yami said softly.

"Mmm," Bakura said again, yanking Yami down to lay beside him. Then, he settled his head to rest in the crook between Yami's chin and shoulder, throwing a long, pale arm across his chest. Yami smiled again; it wasn't often that Bakura would—willingly or unwillingly—snuggle with him. It felt…nice. Foreign, but nice. Strange, but right.

"Bakura? Are you going to sleep our entire anniversary away?" But his only answer was a soft breath on his neck and the weight of a thin arm across his stomach. He sighed. Bakura was so lazy. Knowing him, he'd probably stayed up watching violent horror movies again. Annoyance flooded him momentarily; his lover obviously didn't think that today was anything special. But what did he honestly expect from Bakura?

As if reading his thoughts, Bakura sighed in his sleep and tightened his hold on Yami.

It wasn't fair to ask so much of him, Yami decided. Just the thief letting him into his carefully constructed barriers was enough, not to mention the quiet, tender moments like this one that he allowed to happen. It was more than he could ever ask for. Bakura clearly esteemed him highly—that was apparent by the _year_ they'd spent together—and that was what really mattered, not a random day. Having convinced himself of this, he nodded and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep, his hand covering Bakura's protectively.

* * *

Hours later, Yami woke up with an unfamiliar but not unwelcome weight on his chest. Looking down blearily to see who his bedmate was, he jumped a little to see Bakura staring back up at him, the presence of clear eyes suggesting that he had been awake for a while. Had he been watching Yami the entire time?

"Good morning," Yami said again, aware that morning was probably long gone.

"You're beautiful," Bakura whispered suddenly.

Silence.

"Wha… What did you just say?" Yami croaked.

Bakura rolled his eyes, but Yami could still see the vulnerability in them. Understanding that this was a one-time admission that daunted his companion, Yami smiled and ran his hand gently through Bakura's hair.

"Thank you," he said, genuinely touched. "You…you make me feel beautiful."

Bakura laughed quietly, seemingly satisfied. He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "I…uh, I like this." _The cuddling_, Yami read his expression for the words he couldn't seem to bring himself to say. He held him tighter, chuckling.

"Knew you were a sap all along," he teased.

Growling, Bakura nipped at his lower neck. "I am not a sap," he argued.

Yami rolled out of their languid embrace and pressed Bakura to the bed, arms on either side of his head. Grinning, he crowed, "You're a sap, and you love me."

"You're fooling yourself, Pharaoh," Bakura dissented, but the open look in his eyes told Yami otherwise.

"Mmm, really? I don't know if I believe you…" He swooped down for a passionate kiss, warmth flooding through his body and pooling in his chest and in his stomach when Bakura tangled his hands into his wild hair and kissed back just as enthusiastically. Maybe he'd just have to draw a confession out of him through other means…

Freshly showered, Yami went into the kitchen and began scrounging Ryou's refrigerator for something to cook. Fifteen minutes later, he'd made eggs and seasoned potatoes and heated up some leftover rice. Humming happily to himself, he set the table and poured two glasses of juice. Suddenly, he felt two thin arms snake around his waist and warm lips press tenderly to his cheek.

"Did my little wifey make me breakfast?" Bakura teased, kissing his other cheek and holding him firmly against his hard body. Yami could hear the pleased grin in his voice, and he rolled his eyes. Bakura was always so cocky after sex. But he was also more affectionate, so Yami had decided a long time ago to just let him gloat.

He swatted at his head, growling playfully. "I am not your wifey!"

Bakura nuzzled his cheek, and Yami couldn't help but smile at the affection radiating from his lover. "Mmm, really, Pharaoh? I think you are… Mine, all mine. _My treasure_," he declared reverently.

Yami blushed; Bakura definitely wasn't in his right mind today. What had that nap done to him? The thief nipped playfully at his neck, strong hands tight around his stomach.

"C'mon, Bakura, let's eat," Yami laughed, prying himself loose.

"Hmm, my little wifey is so impatient," Bakura lamented, pouting. Yami scowled at the nickname, but Bakura just laughed.

"I'm joking, Pharaoh."

Yami rolled his eyes, sitting down at the table. "Yeah, yeah."

"No need to get your wifey panties in a twist, "Bakura smirked, joining him at the table.

"Oi!"

* * *

After their breakfast, Bakura convinced Yami to just throw the dirty dishes in the sink—"It's our _anniversary_, Pharaoh! You said it yourself!"—and they lounged on the couch for a few hours, alternatively watching inane TV shows and making out. Yami had never been happier, with Bakura's warm arm around him and his hand stroking his stomach absently.

"I love you, Bakura," he whispered suddenly during a commercial.

Silence reigned as Bakura stared at him. They had never used those words before, and Yami sincerely hoped that Bakura wouldn't run away. In the beginning, he'd cowered away whenever Yami had declared his feelings for him, preferring displays of affection instead. Yami hoped that things had changed over the past year. He didn't dare look up from where he'd perched his head on Bakura's shoulder.

But then he did look up, and their eyes met—and Bakura had the most brilliant smile on his face. Yami's breath caught at the sight.

"I—me, too, Pharaoh," Bakura said softly. He kissed Yami's hair and released him, standing up. "I have something for you," he said awkwardly, looking oddly nervous as he exited the room.

Yami waited on the couch, both confused and curious. A gift? For their anniversary? Bakura didn't do sappy things like that. But Bakura didn't usually tell him he was beautiful or admit that he loved him, either…

What a strange—but lovely—day this anniversary was becoming.

Reentering the room with something hidden behind his back, Bakura sat back down with Yami. He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable and uncertain.

"Me, too," he said again. "A lot. I really… You are… Uh…"

Blinking, Yami sat quietly and waited for Bakura to say what he was trying to say. But instead, the ex-tomb robber took Yami's left hand and deposited something small and cold into the palm of his hand.

"This is for you," he said uneasily, trying to sound nonchalant but clearly anxious about Yami's reaction. A little shocked, Yami opened his palm. In it lay a thick gold ring with a slightly raised sapphire embedded at its center.

Speechless, Yami could only stare at it in disbelief. "This is…for me?"

"Who else would it be for, Pharaoh?" Bakura rolled his eyes but remained tense.

"Bakura, I…" Yami laid his free hand on the other's knee and squeezed it. "I…I don't know what to say. This is… It's beautiful."

Surprising Yami, Bakura's cheeks began to turn pink. "Are you going to put it on or not?" he snapped, clearly embarrassed.

"Will you put it on me?" Yami smiled shyly. Grumbling, Bakura took the ring between his fingers and slipped it onto Yami's left ringfinger. He held the hand in his for a moment, caressing the band with his thumb.

"Maybe this will finally stop all those girls from hitting on you," he said lightly.

"Why's that?"

Bakura shrugged. "Yadonushi(3) said that married people wear a ring on this finger. I saw it on TV before, too."

It was Yami's turn to blush. "So we're married, now?" he chuckled and then stopped when Bakura didn't laugh.

"Effectively," Bakura said softly. Yami's heart caught in his throat. "You look surprised. I'm not in this for anything less than forever, Atem."

Trying to stop the wild fluttering in his chest at Bakura's words—he'd said his _name_!—Yami could only stare in shock. They had never discussed the terms of their relationship, both just happy to be together exclusively. They had never discussed what would happen if Yuugi or Ryou moved away or some other complication came up.

"Bakura…"

"Shut up, Pharaoh," Bakura said, face red again. He pushed Yami down on the couch and pressed their lips together roughly, forcing his tongue into Yami's mouth. Wrapping his arms around his lover and happily kissing him back, Yami felt his heart burst with love. Eyes wet, he gave Bakura a watery smile, overwhelmed by how sweet he was being.

"You're one of a kind, Bakura," he said affectionately.

"I try," Bakura smirked. "Aww, Pharaoh, are you crying?" He wiped away the unshed tears with his thumbs.

"No," Yami lied, but he didn't swat the hands away. Bakura kissed him again, and Yami 'mmm'-ed happily, and the two tumbled onto the ground…

* * *

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(1) Jii-chan: Japanese for "grandpa"; what Yuugi calls Sugoroku

(2) Mou hitori no Yuugi: Japanese for "Other Yuugi"; what Yuugi's friends call Yami

(3) Yadonushi: Japanese for "host/landlord"; what Bakura calls Ryou

* * *

**Additional Notes: **If you'd like a visual of what the ring looks like, I have a link to a picture of it in my profile. Please review! Thank you for reading.


	2. The Truth Emerges

**The Pharaoh's Ring: Chapter 2**  
**By Amphitrite II**

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_For their one year anniversary, Bakura surprises Yami with a beautiful ring._**  
****Disclaimer:** This story is based on _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ and its characters and situations, all created and owned by Kazuki Takahashi.  
**Pairing:** Darkshipping (Yami no Bakura/Yami no Yuugi)  
**Warnings: **Yaoi. Swearing.  
**Additional Notes:** Wanted to get this out before I started on my NaNoWriMo piece... Keep your eyes out for that story; Darkshipping is featured heavily in it. As is expected from me, heh. Anyway, enjoy!

I apologize in advance for the weird changes in format. FF.N can be so psycho sometimes...

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For his gift, Yami took Bakura out to dinner. Using the money he'd been earning from working at the Game Shop, he treated them both to an expensive restaurant in a small corner of Domino.

After they'd been seated by the snobby host, Yami whispered, "Apparently, they have really good steak. Kaiba recommended it." Bakura's eyes lit up.

"I hope you know that I'm going to take full advantage of this gift, Pharaoh," he grinned, scouring the menu. Yami smiled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

After they had made up their minds, the waiter came over to take their orders.

"And how would you like your steak, sir?"

"Can you make it raw? The bloodier the better."

The man looked startled. "R-raw, sir? Do you mean 'rare'?"

"No," Bakura said, baring his teeth. "I mean raw. But if you people have stupid health rules or whatever, I'll just take it extra rare."

"He'll have it raw," Yami interrupted with his no-nonsense voice. "Let me see your manager. We had an agreement about this."

Warily, the waiter pressed a button on his belt and a moment later, a nervous bald man joined them.

"Manager, tell your waiter and chefs to bring out a raw steak for my friend here, in addition to my chicken."

"Sir, I-I don't think that complies with our health regulations…" He mopped his head with a silk handkerchief.

"Now, now, Manager, remember our discussion…"

"O-Oh, yes, that, I…"

Yami smiled sweetly, but his voice was coated with poison. "Don't forget who I am, Manager."

Swallowing nervously, the man stuttered, "Y-yes, sir, I won't." He led the waiter away, whispering frantically to the confused man.

"What discussion?" Bakura asked curiously the moment the men had turned away. Yami smirked.

"Oh, you know, just scared him a bit by dropping a few titles and names…"

An echoing smirk on his face, Bakura licked his lips. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're bad?"

"You can show me later," he laughed, throwing him a playful wink.

"Mmm," Bakura eyed him hungrily, eyes glinting. "I like you today, Pharaoh."

*

Yami stared in morbid fascination as Bakura tore at his enormous steak gleefully, making a mess of himself and the table.

"You're the best, Pharaoh," Bakura said happily between ripping apart and bestially inhaling the poor steak. Despite his disgust at Bakura's lack of etiquette, Yami felt his chest fill with warmth at his words.

But then Bakura splattered some 'juice' onto his cheek, and he wrinkled his nose. Bakura laughed at his expression. "Really, Pharaoh, I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah," Yami grumbled, taking a bite of his own dish.

Yami never took the ring off. He wore it in his sleep, in the shower, and during sex. He often found himself distracted by it: when he was putting money into the register, when he was carrying boxes of cards, when he was dueling or solving puzzles with Yuugi. He cleaned it obsessively, loving the way it glinted after being shined.

"I swear you like that ring more than you like me," Bakura teased, catching him twisting it on his finger absently again.

Yami blushed. "I like it _because_ you gave it to me."

"Aww, Pharaoh," Bakura grinned mockingly, "how sweet," but he looked pleased with himself so Yami didn't object to his teasing.

Yuugi noticed it during dinner a few days later. "Other Me, is that new?"

"Hmm?" Yami answered absently, in the midst of drinking soup. "Oh, the ring? Yes, Bakura got it for me."

Yuugi snatched his hand and examined the ring, eyes wide.

"Hey, I'm eating!"

Yuugi laughed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just really cool. And wow, that was really nice of Bakura."

"It was for our anniversary," Yami added, smiling from ear-to-ear.

"Wow, it's been a year already? Time passes by so fast," Yuugi mused. "You're growing up so fast, Other Me!"

Laughing, Yami answered, "You're not getting rid of me just yet."

Yuugi smiled. "Good. But one day, Bakura will sweep you off your feet and you'll elope with him and leave me all alone…"

Startled, Yami said seriously, "I'll never leave you, Partner."

Yuugi nodded. "I know. I'm just happy that you're happy, Other Me."

Yami smiled again. "Thank you."

*

"Aww man, Yuugi, you won again!"

Yuugi laughed as Jounouchi groaned and mussed his hair in frustration. He glared at his leftover cards. Grinning, Honda pushed him out of the way.

"My turn, my turn!"

Next to him, Anzu rolled her eyes, smiling at the boys' antics. "You know Yuugi will win anyway," she teased. Honda scowled, shuffling the deck of cards.

"Anzu, c'mon, don't be like that! You go first, Yuugi. Yuugi?"

Yuugi was staring at the television, looking worried. The newscaster was talking about the burglary of the Ancient Egypt exhibit at the local Domino Museum. A valuable ring, which had just arrived a week ago, had been stolen. The thief had left them no clues, and they were still trying to figure out how he had infiltrated the new security technology had just been implemented.

Then, the screen focused in on a photograph of the ring before it had been put on display, and Yuugi gasped. He'd seen that exact ring on Yami's hand less than twenty-four hours ago!

And it all clicked in his mind. Of course—how else would Bakura have come up with the money for something like that? Also, where would he find a ring that looked so much like an antique—an _artifact_? Bakura definitely had the clever mind and dexterity to bypass any kind of museum security. Yuugi frowned. He had to tell Yami to return the ring to the museum… But Yami was so happy with it that Yuugi wasn't sure if he'd be able to tell him that it wasn't rightfully his and that he would have to give it up.

"Eh, Yuugi?" Jounouchi asked. "You okay?" His friends peered at him in concern.

"Yeah," he said, smiling, "but how sad about that ring."

"I can't believe people would steal things like that," Anzu said, frowning. "They're worth so much more than just money."

"I hope they catch the thief," Honda replied. "Anyway, ready to lose, Yuugi?"

Pushing his worries aside, Yuugi grinned and drew his cards. "You wish!"

*

After he finished his homework that night, Yuugi decided to talk to Yami about the ring. He found his other self in the living room, polishing the ring while working on a crossword puzzle.

"Other Me," Yuugi prompted.

"What is it, Partner?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Just give me a moment to finish this," Yami said, filling in the remaining boxes. Smiling he picked the ring and the cloth up again and looked at Yuugi. "Yes?"

Frowning, Yuugi watched Yami polish the gold lovingly. "I…" He hesitated. "I just wanted to ask if you and Bakura wanted to join us on Saturday at Anzu's place. She's having a little get-together for all of us, and she invited you guys."

"Sure, I'll come. But no promises about Bakura."

Yuugi laughed. "That's expected."

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

Yuugi glanced at the ring again. Yami's fingers were caressing it absently.

"Yeah," he replied. "Yeah, that's all."

*

"C'mon, Bakura," Yami pleaded. "I don't want to go by myself!"

Bakura snorted. "Then you shouldn't have agreed to go. Did you really expect me to want to go to some dumb little party? With your twerp and your stupid friends?"

Yami crossed his arms and pouted. "He's not a twerp, and they're not stupid."

Bakura just rolled his eyes.

"Please?"

"No," he said for the third time, not even bothering to take his eyes off of the television screen.

"I'll give you a blowjob," Yami offered.

Bakura chuckled. "You can't exchange sex favors to get me to do stupid things, Pharaoh."

"Two blowjobs?"

Bakura looked thoughtful but shook his head.

"Three?" Yami proposed desperately.

Bakura glanced at him and smirked. "Three and you tied up." Yami sighed. He hated being tied up. But he did really want Bakura to accompany him…

"Deal," he said in resignation. Bakura turned off the television and leapt out of his seat, grinning in a feral manner.

"Well? What are you waiting for, Pharaoh? Let's get going!"

Laughing at his sudden enthusiasm, Yami stood up as well and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," he murmured.

Bakura winked at him. "Just don't forget, you owe me, big time."

*

"I'm bored," Bakura whined to Yami an hour and a half later as the group began to play a new round of "Bullshit".

"Oh c'mon, this is fun," Yami said. "Isn't this your kind of game? It involves cheating!"

"You only say that because you keep winning. And it's not fun to cheat if everyone can do it."

Yami sighed and turned to Anzu. "Can he watch TV or something?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" She stood up and pointed a scowling Bakura to the living room. Yami frowned, feeling bad for dragging Bakura to the gathering. Playing four kings, he decided that he'd join his lover after he won this round.

"Hey, Yami, is that new?"

"Hmm?" Yami looked up from examining the cards in his hand. He saw Anzu peering at his left hand. "Oh, this? Yeah, Bakura got it for me," he said proudly, smiling at it.

Anzu shared a glance with Yuugi, who refused to meet his eyes for some reason.

"Where did he get it?" Anzu asked cautiously.

Yami blinked. "I don't know. Why?"

"Yami Bakura doesn't have any money, does he? How did he afford something like this? It looks pretty expensive."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "Are you accusing Bakura of stealing it?"

Anzu shrugged, but her eyes were sharp. "I'm just suggesting that I find it suspicious that Bakura turned up with an expensive gold ring for you out of nowhere. And given his past…"

Yami glared at his friend, his forehead turning warm.

"Other Me, calm down, Anzu's just curious," Yuugi said placatingly, feeling Yami's surging anger. Yami growled.

"Just because Bakura used to be a thief doesn't mean that he's incapable of buying something. He wouldn't steal something and give it to me. I know he wouldn't," he said firmly.

"I'm not trying to insult Bakura, Other Yuugi," Anzu asserted. "I'm just… Look, there was a robbery at the museum recently, and your ring looks just like the one that was stolen."

At this, Jounouchi and Honda peered at Yami's hand as well.

"Whoa, it does!" Honda exclaimed.

"I can't believe he would steal that!" Jounouchi added.

"You have to return it to the museum," Anzu quipped. "It's an artifact!"

"I…"

"I know you love it, Other Me, but it belongs to the museum," Yuugi said sadly. Biting his lip, Yami didn't say anything, instinct and reason battling within him.

"Maybe you should talk to him," Otogi suggested.

"He won't be happy, though," Ryou warned, looking apprehensive.

"Yeah," Yami said quietly. "Yeah, I'll go talk to him."

*

"Hey," Yami said. He handed Bakura a glass of soda and joined him on Anzu's fuzzy couch. Bakura grunted and downed the drink. "Bakura, how much did my ring cost?"

"Isn't that rude to ask?" Bakura replied easily.

Yami frowned. "Did you steal it?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "No."

"Anzu says there was a robbery at the museum recently, and the ring that was stolen looked just like mine," Yami said carefully. "Do you know anything about it?"

At his words, Bakura tensed, and the entire atmosphere changed. He turned to Yami, glaring with narrowed eyes. "One of your little friends says something and suddenly I'm the bad guy again? Don't test me, Pharaoh," Bakura hissed dangerously.

"So you didn't steal it? Just answer the question," Yami prompted. Silence followed his words, but he kept in eye-contact with the other spirit.

Finally—"So what if I took it from the museum? Excuse me for trying to do something nice," Bakura spat.

"You…" Yami sighed, disappointed that his instincts had been wrong. "We have to return it. It's not rightfully mine."

"No!" Bakura exclaimed. Yami blinked at his sudden vehemence. "It's yours, Pharaoh. It was yours, back in Egypt. I…stole it from you back then. I'm…I wanted to return it to you."

Staring at the ring, Yami pondered this new revelation. "It's…it's mine?" It did feel familiar, and he remembered always wearing a lot of rings, but he had never really noticed which were which. He bit his lip. Bakura must have felt contrite and wanted to let him know that he was sorry for the trouble he had caused him in Egypt—which was extremely thoughtful on his part. Technically, the ring was his, but not in this era. "I…I still have to return it," he said uncertainly. "It's not rightfully mine anymore."

Recommencing his glaring, Bakura snapped, "Fine. Return it to the damn museum; see if I care. I don't' know why I went through all that trouble to get something so stupid anyway." Enraged, he stormed out of the apartment.

Yami sighed. He knew it'd been a bad idea to bring it up in the first place. Bakura had hidden it carefully, but there had been hurt in his eyes .Rubbing the ring sadly, he hoped that he would be forgiven for doing the right thing.


End file.
